


Iwama Tabletop Drabbles

by wideeyedaxolotl



Series: Tabletop Drabble Series [1]
Category: Pokemon, Pokemon Tabletop
Genre: Universe: Iwama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 16:51:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 12,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13594317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wideeyedaxolotl/pseuds/wideeyedaxolotl
Summary: A set of drabbles I wrote a while back, focusing on Iwama, a pokemon region known for it's harsh, desert climate. While there are a lot of characters in this setting, the ones in particular that will pop up the most are Sascha, the player character, as well as Iwama's most wanted thief; Dyna, a Latios working alongside Sascha; Russ, Sascha's 'super cool' rival; as well as Freya, Lewis, and Quinn, who are all thieves working with Sascha (with Freya as the leader). There's also a Jirachi named Sundae, who works behind the scenes until the very, very end.





	1. Depart

**Author's Note:**

> Write name: Depart  
> Characters: Dyna, Cookie Girl, various others (mentioned)
> 
> Dyna gets moody about having to stay behind.

It was absolutely baffling how difficult it was for Dyna to remember when he _wasn’t_ hurt.  
  
It was natural for him to have some nicks and bruises on his body, leftovers of greater injures that served to tease him when he’d much rather think of pleasant things. But as of late, his days appeared to result with many more wounds than he had expected. In a roundabout way, it did help him to motivate himself to keep on trying, but by gosh, if a knife to the head wasn’t classified as painful, he didn’t know _what was._  
  
There was also the issue that Lewis and himself encountered when escaping Scoria — while thankfully, Lewis only suffered a few scratches, Dyna had found traveling with this newly added injury difficult, cumbersome, and just downright frustrating. Ah, how he wished he could race across the desert without falling flat on his own face! No, instead he had to rest, taking shelter in the caves where no person would follow.  
  
He didn't mind the company there either: while some of the Pokemon proved to be difficult to converse with, he found solace in speaking to the Xatu, quietly listening to what the wise birds had to say for him.  
  
Today, however, he had decided for a change of pace: rather than travel directly to the caves, he had taken a rest outside, laying in the grassy fields. Part of it was due to yesterday’s foolish plan to leave Gypsum, once and for all, only to nearly shredded by the ghastly Shedinja; the other being that, if he was lucky, he could watch Lewis and his thieving partner leave the town from a distance.  
  
There was no way he was going to show off how worried he was for their safety where they could see it…  
  
A grumble erupts from his throat. If it wasn't for yesterday’s scenario, he could of went along….  
  
…hold on, what was on his head? He definitely felt something being placed on top of it, but how, and who? Worriedly, he looked about, and found his answer quickly: it was that small girl who couldn’t talk. At least, not without her Chingling friend. What was she doing here?  
  
"Hey, mister, you got to smile more!"  
  
"for…what…?" please, as if he could smile. "The people i am…close towards are leaving…" The way he forces it out makes it clear that, uh, yeah, you really don’t talk to these people much. Or be around them, for that matter, but nonetheless…  
  
"…so you are gonna be lonely, then?" The little girl seemed a little put down by the news, only to spring back in a matter of seconds. 'Its ok! you can stay with me and grandma!’  
  
While the offer was tempting, Dyna had to politely decline. Unknown to the girl, it was already a bother that he had her seen him — what if her grandmother knew that he was wanted? It simply wouldn’t end well. "I have..a relative living here." He’d add, quietly.  
  
The girl sits beside him. Well, no use trying to shoo her off now. "What did you put on my head, anyway?" He pondered, petting the top of his head.  
  
"I made you a friendship crown! Cause we’re friends, right?"  
  
"..all i did was convince those pokemon not to kill you. There wasn’t anything friendly about that." And it wasn’t! he was just in the right place, at the right time. Maybe at the wrong time. He kinda didn’t want to be seen by anyone in this town, after all…  
  
But, the girl had laughed at his comment! "You're silly, you know that? you did a good deed, and now you're denying praise!"  
  
He would say, at this, that the reason was because it wasn’t enough. Saving this strangers life…this wasn’t anything compared to what Freya and himself were destined to do. Until that was done, everything that they would do was worth nothing to them…to him…  
  
Ah, would they…succeed? Would they finally win?   
  
"Hey, are you alright?"  
  
He grumpily looked away, only for his eyes to flicker towards her. "Its…nothing. Don’t worry."  
  
yeah, don’t worry. Everything was going to be ok…  
  
he just needed to try and put a bit of faith in them.


	2. Red-Handed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Red-Handed  
> Characters: ????
> 
> A small story about gods.

The god was red-handed.  
  
Day by day, people gathered around, hands held in prayer, requesting the aid of power from above. Power that, to many, do not comprehend as anything outside of ‘holy’ and ‘scared.’  
  
It was the god’s power.  
  
Day by day, people yearned for a miracle for their crops to flourish, for young boy to recover, the woman to return from her long trip in the desert…  
  
This was the god’s power.  
  
But, when another god, one that promises a land of green, what does one do?  
  
The god of the town felt threatened.  
  
Before the newcomer could settle in, the god lashed out, tainting the vibrant blue wings with crimson blood. This was their land, theirs alone. And no god was going to tailor the land to their needs, rather than the people’s.  
  
The god was red handed, but the people continued to worship it.  
  
However…  
  
Unknown to the people, the newcomer was their only hope of survival.  
  
This was their _true_ god.


	3. Hired

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Hired  
> Characters: Lewis, Freya, Dyna
> 
> How Lewis was hired by Freya…and also how his feelings sprouted for her.  
> Aka: WOW, IWAMA WAS SO STRAIGHT

There were two rules that Lewis always fell by: listen to your client, and don’t get caught in the act. This simple code had allowed him to get a bit of a name in the thieving business, even to the point of having someone personally request him for his ‘excellent resume’ — whatever that was.  
  
"so…let me get this straight. You, a 10—" a cough arose from the person he was speaking with, "—a _14_ year old kid _,_ is asking me to steal some artifact?"  
  
"If it was in my favor, i wouldn't of came to ask you. But…but Freya and I need your help."  
  
"Freya..?" he inquired: if they were his client, then at the very least, he wanted to talk to them as well. Or, maybe this kid was the mes sager boy? Poor thing.  
  
"Yeah, uhm…" the boy paused. "she was..supposed to come with me, but she got distracted by a popcorn stand…" oh, how embarrassing!  
  
But, it was from this simple explanation that he agreed to help out — so long as he met the other part of his clientele. After all, it was fair to hear what they had to say about this, right? And this boy…no offense to him, but Lewis was hoping that this Freya was an adult with some income on her.  
  
Thankfully, the boy didn't object. He was more than happy to bring him over to the girl whom he could call his relative. And, glancing at the popcorn standing in awe, was the strangely dressed, pale skin girl. The boy swore she hadn't moved an inch since he left her, addressing this fact with a hand pressed to his forehead.  
  
Lewis, however, was also standing in awe. Unlike the girl, however, it wasn't the popcorn that intrigued him: no, it was the girl herself…  
  
"ah?" the girl's voice pulled him out of his daze. "oh, is this our new recruit? how exciting~!"  
  
"y-yes, i…" Lewis shakily raised his hand, as his eyes struggled to maintain eye contact. "My name is Lewis, I'm happy to be...uhm.."  
  
The girl hopped over, eagerly taking his hand and shaking it firmly. "Happy to meet you! My name is Freya, as you can see~! And you've clearly met Dyna over here, yup yup~"  
  
There was a moment where the two of them, hand and hand, simply glanced at one another, Lewis being more at unease than the giddy Freya. He had worked with female clients, yes, but this girl…why was it that this girl was _different_ …?  
  
The awkward silence was quickly halted by a grumble. "My word, just get a room already. its painfully clear whats going on here."  
  
While Freya curiously asked what the boy had meant — he told her not to ‘think too heavily about it’ — Lewis had tightened his grip on the girl in shock. What was this child saying, and why? I mean, this girl did make him feel different than most, but…  
  
..oh. _oh._  
  
Like a light bulb that shone when a solution was found, Lewis’ face had lit up, taking on a rosy hue.  
  
it had only been a few minutes, but Lewis had hopelessly fell in love with his own client. A client that, he found, would be working for much more than a simple heist…  
  
but, for Lewis, working with such an eccentric girl was worth it.


	4. Too Late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Too Late  
> Characters: Sascha, Dyna, various pokemon
> 
> This one isn't properly finished, but I liked it! Contains character death (?!), as well as violence.

Sascha had to admit – her castle was flawless. Golden towers, crisp forms, a moat filled with non existent water…her castle had _everything._ Her hard work had to, just had to be admired by all!  
  
She first allowed her Pokemon to spectate: Viola seemed to enjoy it, and quite possibly could live in it; Snuggles seemed to be fighting the urge to destroy i;, fluffy seemed rather impartial to it; and kana seemed far too curious about the form to give a meaningful input.  
  
As for the second set who was to see it..well, she sort of forgotten about them until just now. But, what did he mean to her? That kid, that wimp of a kid, was a huge thorn in her side. She didn't understand why she had agreed to go out and find him – for what, for him to bicker about how he could of handled it?  
  
oh, she was going to show him who was better. She even had a cool sand castle to flaunt in his face! Her walk quickened, and there was a certain flair in her step; she was far too excited about this.  
  
But hold on, what were those Pokemon over there? They were hovering…bugs of some sort, and with their halos and wings, seemed almost…angelic. Until Sascha noticed the blood dripped from their claws, of course. Did they just catch some prey to eat? She looked downward, at the source of all the blood that the Pokemon wore.  
  
…that was not simply a stray Pokemon. No, the prey they had caught…  
  
oh, it couldn't of been him…  
  
But, the matter that laid before them was, in fact, the boy she was supposed to be looking for. But, in the condition he was in, it was difficult to accurately gauge his injuries – everything was red, bleeding, torn apart, as if his entire being was ripped into shreds…  
  
she was no doctor, but this boy was, or will be, dead.  
  
As her eyes were fixed on the tattered, barely recognizable boy, she had not noticed that something else had been taken from her. It was only after she had realized that the Shedinja were not feasting on poor soul that she finally, finally found that some of the spooky bugs had taken over her castle!  
  
First they kill a innocent – ok, maybe not innocent – boy, and now they take her castle? This nonsense _needed_ to end.


	5. Charred

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Charred  
> Characters: Freya, Dyna
> 
> Pre-Campaign fic about the Day of Fire, in which the desert was built upon. Contains minor character deaths, and violence all around.

_Drip, drip, drip._  
  
In all her years, she had never considered the possibility of this happening.  
  
 _Crackle, crackle._  
  
Helplessly, hand holding firm to her wound, she watches as another house collapses on top of itself, sending ambers into the soot filled night sky. Just earlier, she had been in a house like that, but…not only had it shared the same fate, but she was the only one to painfully push herself out, just before she saw it fall on top of her parent’s heads…  
  
 _Weep, weep._  
  
She was all alone, without anyone to talk to.  
  
Glancing to the forest, a grimace forms on her face. Not only was her town destroyed, but the forest, too, was perishing…  
  
All the creatures there, they were dying out too. And if they weren't dying from the forest, she found as she looked upward, her eyes narrowing at the spectacle before her, they were _fighting_ that horrible, terrible beast.  
  
Was there anything, anything, that she could do? She glanced around the area, trying to find something, _someone_ to assist them in some manner..  
  
But, what she hadn't expect was to find a boy, dragging himself out the forest, collapsing to his knees.  
  
The sheer fact that someone other than herself was alive had made her bolt towards the boy, checking for any signs that he was alive. He looked a bit charred, but otherwise, there wast anything in particular wrong with him…desperately, she tried to shake him awake.  
  
"There's...someone else who is alive..?" came the weak voice of the boy. He looked ready to pass out given his condition, and the girl couldn’t blame him.  
  
"Mhm…I don't know if anyone aside from me is alive, but..." the girl's words fade out as she tries to withhold her tears. "…are you ok?" She would glance down at their body once more, their dark, near black hair, and their face… _their face_ …  
  
It was soon after that something had clicked in her mind, and she tore apart from him, gasping. "Wait a second, you're…you cant be him i, i saw him…."  
  
"so he did…die?" asked the boy, lowering his head. "I’m sorry i chose someone that you knew-"  
  
But she shakes her head, bitterly. "No, its..…m-more importantly, is anyone else alive out there?"  
  
"Not..not many…are alive..." the boy states, as she clings to the girl tightly. "T..they’re all dying, and i cant fight, i cant do anything to..to save them…"  
  
As the boy begins to cry, the girl pulls him closer, as a few tears fall from her face as well. "If we cant save them, we can try and live, we just got to.."  
  
And so, the two of them fled from the town, running away from the threat that befell their once comfy village.  
  
But what they didn't know....was that something else was at work that day. Something that would change both of their lives forever.


	6. Moodswings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Moodswings  
> Characters: Sascha, 'Lewis,' various
> 
> Lewis is forced to leave town when he’s found out as a criminal. Sascha follows, clueless about what really had happened. (Technically an alt timeline/what if? fic.)

Augh, that gym was a _cheater!_  
  
That is the exact words that Sascha had yelled as she marched out of the gym. she had won the match, for sure, but only narrowly - she’d have to heal her Pokemon before she had any plans to travel in mind.  
  
Then again, she’s sure that her and Viola could take on anyone together.  
  
Oh, that's right! shed have to check on her servant, too. She definitely had to check on him. After all, he was the one that she brought here, and it would be horrible if she didn't bring the fool back to his girlfriend, right?  
  
But oddly enough, before she had headed inside the center, she had caught glimpse of the very servant she was thinking about. Halting her trip to heal her crew, she heads over to the man, bearing the hugest grin she can conquer. "hey there, servant! I didn't know you were already up and about."  
  
No response comes from the man, though. He simply glares at her, hands folded — was he really giving her the silent treatment? No matter, she knew how to get him to talk.  
  
"Come on Lulu, you cant really think you can stay quiet the whole time we walk home, can you? What would your girlfriend think…"  
  
The comment catches Lewis’ attention, but perhaps not the way she had expected. Rather than talk, he, well, punches the girl, and begins to stomp off.  
  
There's a moment where Sascha wonders if leaving Lewis was for the best (he was trash anyway), but coming back servantless was also a bad thing, wasn't it? Rubbing the bruise on her face, she races after him, barking a "Hey, what the heck was that for?"  
  
But, to Sascha's dismay, the silent treatment resumed.  
  
She soon finds that, together, the two of them were heading out town, and asks why. In fact, she asks many questions as they walked, and each time, no answer followed. She still did follow, though, hoping that this dumb attitude from the man would wear off.  
  
And, it did, when Sascha had noticed something strange.  
  
"Lewis," she asked, as her head nervously turned about. 'Why are we going this far past the canyon? Isn't Gypsum….well, the other way?’  
  
And that's when Sascha wonders if she hit a wrong chord, because boy, Lewis actually looked scary for once. Lewis. Scary. What were the odds?  
  
"Well gee, Sascha, why do YOU think i am? Why are we in this stupid desert in the first place?"  
  
Now sascha was upset! Not only had Lewis came out of the desert in a terrible mood, but he was being so rude to her right now! That was not a thing servants should be allowed to do.  
  
"Well, _mister_ , I thought we were going to Gypsum, not taking some side trip! Are we looking for more fossils, then, or..?"  
  
"Wrong, wrong, and oh dear, you are so painfully wrong." Lewis lets out a huge sigh, forcing it out in a very overdramatic fashion. He then pulls out a slip of paper from a bag — wait, when did he have a bag like that?  
  
"This is why," he groans, pointing a finger to the paper — it was a wanted poster, with Lewis dead in center, and asking for a nice reward, too. "Thanks to your stupidity, i am once again cleaning up YOUR mess."  
  
"My mess?!" Sascha huffs, her hands placed firmly on her hips. This man was so mean today, so mean! "Well excuse me, servant, but you were the one that got yourself in trouble in the first place! I didn't know you were actually, well, that well known as a thief!" She's actually a little jealous about that.  
  
"…how did you not know that…" Lewis’ voice seems to have settled for a moment, as he begins to pace about, deep in thought. "I mean, i guess it could make sense that you _didn't_ know, but…"  
  
he stops where he is, turning his head towards Sascha. "…l-look, ill be blunt. I'm heading to Scoria, and I really, really encourage you to stop following me."  
  
"Huuuhh? Why, why? And why not?!" Sascha was getting more and more puzzled by the second. "I can totally handle myself!"  
  
"Can you." Lewis steps closer, staring down at the girl — his voice unusually calm. or, perhaps it was simply devoid of emotion? "Can you really say that, after being mauled by Trapinch? Or after the situation in the ghost town?"  
  
"I'm still standing, you know!! You don't know nothing!"  
  
"Oh, rest assured, i do know a thing or two. One day you're going to slip again and…" Lewis goes silent, biting at his lip. "..a-and.."  
  
Sascha seems to actually feel at ease from this: finally, he is showing some sort of sign of emotion other than being super angry or too serious to actually take seriously..  
  
"Lewis, I'm not going to go dying on you. It takes a lot more to knock out Sascha Frisk!" She says this in the most confident voice ever, bearing a huge smile and good gosh, if this wasn't the most convincing looking pose she had, she didn't know what would sway this guy into trusting her.  
  
She didn't expect the guy to suddenly pull her close, though. "You’re…gonna keep your word on it, r-right?"  
  
"Yeah, gosh! Lewis, you're such a worrywort." She carefully…pushes herself away; shes not fond of long, meaningful hugs like this. At least she knew why he was so bent out of shape, though!  
  
"Iill be ok, really! You saw how we beat that dumb slab of rock, right? We can do anything if we tried!" And, to end that note, she jokingly pets his head, saying a teasing "but thanks, Lulu," and begins to scout the area, wondering where they'll head off next.  
  
and, while the girl was too distracted to notice, Lewis had buried his face in one of his hands, grumbling.  
  
Did he want to punch her for turning poor Lewis in? Yeah, big time. But, while things were normal, and Sacha had put her trust in him…  
  
..he didn't mind playing as someone that he wasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (cuffs hands over mouth, whispering) I forgot how much ruder Dyna used to be....


	7. Takeout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Takeout  
> Characters: Dyna, Freya
> 
> Dyna gets food for Freya, because, when you've a big fluffy Latios, flying across the desert for Spinda Express is EXACTLY the sort of thing you need to do. He finds out things he didn't want to hear, though...

_Tsk, tsk._  
  
A small boy was pacing back and forth, impatiently. It had been five, no, six! Six minutes. And still, nothing was being handed to him.  
  
This service was downright terrible, and he was going go make a fuss if it took any longer. Especially considering that the food he was ordering wasn't for him.  
  
Alright, alright. Dyna had to admit: he was a bit of a sucker for this type of takeout, and found the fried rice and chicken they served to be pretty tasty. He’d even go as far to say that, if he had to continue to eat the same thing over and over, then he would pick something akin to this. Just…maybe a healthier alternative.  
  
His small rant he had going in his head, however, was interrupted by someone coming out from the back, hands full of boxes. Yup, this _had_ to be his order. The boy raced over to the counter, pulling himself up to see the top of the counter, which now had a full bags worth of boxed food…

"Thank you." he mumbled, exchanging the goods for the money required to pay for it. He waves a hand when the cashier asks to give him the change — keeping spare change wasn't really that worthwhile to seek after.  
  
Once he's shifted the bags to a comfortable position, the boy marched out, hesitating at the door. There was a lot more...unfavorable people about, and he wasn't sure why. Did some sort of accident happen? Or, maybe…  
  
He shook his head. No, that couldn't be it, could it?  
  
Warily, he hid behind a lamp post, listening carefully to the conversation of two particular characters nearby. It was a terrible hiding spot, but he wasn't too concerned about being seen, either.  
  
After all, he had some measures he could take if things got rowdy.  
  
As he quietly observed the two, he overheard the words ‘caught’ and ‘thief.’ Two words he didn't want to hear. But, it could be someone else, right…?  
  
'Yeah, I'm telling you! A girl over in sulfur gave him over to the nurse. You think that he’ll talk?’  
  
'…about what, the crimes, or..’  
  
'Anything, really. Although, have you heard about the cruise? He had an accomplice that was rumored to..’  
  
Yeah, Dyna didn't want to hear anymore of this. so what if he was a kid, anyway? He was a lot stronger than these jokers. But, these jokers had confirmed something, something that, when he finally came home to a happy, giddy Freya, he didn't want to disclose to her.  
  
Lewis, the boy who she had fell head over heels for, was put in jail, thanks to another member of their crew.  
  
But, he couldn't say this, not yet. Instead, he’d hand her the food, let her eat, and maybe, just maybe, try and see where the man was being held.  
  
Or, more importantly..  
  
Wait for the foolish girl to come home from Sulfur, and proceed to punch her in the face. Just maybe.


	8. Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write 24: Song  
> Characters: Dyna, Sundae
> 
> _"Jirachi will awaken from its sleep of a thousand years if you sing to it in a voice of purity. It is said to make true any wish that people desire...."_
> 
> AKA: Dyna meets Sundae for the first time featuring bad song lyrics

_the hollowed evening winds_  
_have come to torture again…_  
  
They were alone.  
  
_and the night sky,_  
_leaves me to the dark i abhor…_  
  
The midnight sky, even with all these stars, was lonely, and far too quiet for their ears.  
  
_there’s a tune_  
_that i once hummed along to_  
  
No one was here..  
  
_but now the neck is hewn_  
_and the song mutters an adieu._  
  
And no one would come, either.  
  
_oh, why must the winds_  
_come to torture me again?_  
  
Perhaps it was a fate, or perhaps it was just poor luck,  
  
_why must the sky_  
_create such a bitter abhor_  
  
but either way, they were truly alone.  
  
_yes, let me sing you_  
_this heartfelt tune_  
  
The tears that were meant to be shed were lost months ago.  
  
_…in hopes that someday, someday_  
_ill meet you again._  
  
But their voice still mourned.  
  
Although…  
  
"My, such a moving song, right from the heart…"  
  
….they _never_ thought they would be answered.


	9. Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Past  
> Characters: Naya
> 
> Naya, then a nameless Latias, and the presumed last of the Eon species, takes on the role she never dared consider to take before the day of fire.

It had been a long, long night.  
  
A small girl would awaken, weakly lifting her mangled body up from the ground. Shes look around, blinking, and then taking in the sights with eyes pulled wide.  
  
All around her laid bodies, far more mangled than her own. The girl wailed out, asking, hoping, pleading that someone was out there. just as scared as she was.  
  
But alas, there was none.  
  
She searched for the terrifying force that had brought ruin upon them, hoping to seek revenge, or at the very least, an answer…  
  
But that, too, ended in failure.  
  
What had happened for a creature so horrible to appear before them? Why had the god that their town, no, the region worshiped, fail them, leaving the angels to risk their lives? All these answers, however, were suddenly granted, as the girl took sight of something even more gruesome.  
  
No, the god had _tried._  
  
The god just failed, just as they had.  
  
And now, there was no god, and now… _her,_ a nameless being, was the only angel that remained.   
  
She nodded slowly.  
  
Perhaps it was her turn to play the part of god.


	10. Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Stories  
> Characters: Sascha, Dyna
> 
> Dyna tries to tell Sascha a story. Sascha immediately requests a better one, and so, he recalls a happier moment in another timeline. AKA: Dyna subtly venting out past events, both good and bad. (Contains vivid explanations of violence)

"There was once a person who was known throughout the land as a notorious thief. For many years, people were advised to watch over their belongings, as any of it could be taken with ease by this crafty person."  
  
"There was rumors, too, that this thief had a powerful Pokemon alongside them, and was too fast for anyone to see, as not one cop could tell them what kind of Pokemon they had."  
  
"Together, the trainer and the Pokemon collected many treasures, and lived comfortably while the cops failed to find them."  
  
"They would live their days laughing, mocking the cops, while plotting out a new location to go window stealing for, so to speak: they would find something, too. Something so valuable to them, and something they didn’t think was still around to this day."  
  
"But, both the thief and the Pokemon miscalculated, and..the thief had found themselves on the floor, as a new Pokemon, one with sharp claws and a scar, had sliced their organs out of their body."  
  
"That gruesome sight would be the last thing the person would see."  
  
"And the Pokemon would spend the rest of its days grieving, as they could not protect their trainer in time. "

 

* * *

  
  
"..that didn't have a good ending." mumbled a voice, trying hard not to yawn. It was so sad, so sad!  
  
"well, what did you expect?" another grumbled, "Stealing things isn't an adventure that always ends good. Thieves are...the bad guys, in almost every tale."  
  
"but they could be the good guys, right? Come on, give me a story that isn't so dreary like you!"  
  
there was a long, distinct pause. "…perhaps. But you have to promise to sleep after."  
  
"promise." Maybe, she thought. She wasn’t really good at keeping promises, if only because certain others would keep breaking them foe her. so rude!  
  
"alright…so, once," the other would start, "there was a grand thief, who grew tired of taking precious gems. What they sought was even grander, and was so out of reach, that they had to call the help of their Pokemon to get it: a living star."  
  
"The feat of catching a star was no easy task, and took the two of them days and days to track it down. But, when the star had thought those fools had given up, the heavenly light was torn from the sky, and was preserved for many, many years."  
  
"At least, until someone wanted to buy the star. Yes, if there was something more absurd than catching a star, it was buying a physical star to showcase. But the thief had a plan for this, oh they did."  
  
"The thief had offered the potential buyer the ability to _see_ the star, bringing the container in which it was held. And she told them to open it, to view the star in all its glory."  
  
"But, the star didn't want to be stuck in there. And thief knew, oh yes they did."  
  
"Thus, when the buyer had popped open the container, the star flew out, soaring into the sky, never to be seen again."  
  
"At least, that's what everyone thought: however, it is said that on some nights, when the night sky is clear, you can still see that bright star soaring through the sky."  
  
and when they were done, the person had dosed off. And they were happy, deep down, because despite their outgoing, rambunctious personality, they were looking more and more exhausted each time they saw this person. 


	11. Solitude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Solitude  
> Characters: Sascha, Dyna
> 
> Sascha tries to figure out where Dyna goes to be lonely and brooding. This get rowdy, but...it's for the better.

It had been just like any other day, more or less.  
  
Barely seeing them during the day, catching a glimpse of them when dinner rolled around, and, on occasion, manage to spot them heading back off to..well, wherever they hanged out for the majority of the time. The girl could easily bet ten bucks that the location was filled to the brim with Pokemon, and a disregard to having many, _if any,_ people visiting. It was the perfect hideaway for him.  
  
And one day, Sascha had decided to follow him.  
  
When she spotted him heading out into the fields, she crept slowly behind, paying close attention to his movements. she was still learning in the stealing department, but her stealth skills could very well be bragged about to anyone, maybe even to Lewis! She prided herself about this thought, only to shove it to the back of her head. She needed to focus, focus……on the small boy who was walking into a dark scary cave.  
  
Well, Sascha wasn’t too surprised, to be honest – this dark and damp cave fit the boys personality quite well. Cautiously, she tip toes inside, cursing over the limited sight. How was she going to follow this kid if she can barely see him?  
  
But alas, even with this difficulty, she manages to find the exit to the maze of a cave, though she cant seem to find the boy there – had he gone a different route, or was he far ahead, or? Gosh, what a dumb cave, why did it have to throw her off?  
  
But then, she takes in the scenery that now surrounded her, gasping. Contrary to the dull and drab cave, she was now standing in a beautiful, flower filled clearing, abundant with Pokemon and, my word, there was an entire lake here…  
  
With the exception of the ocean, this was by far the biggest puddle of water that she had seen. This alone warranted a search around the area, even if the boy wasn't around.  
  
Her footsteps grew heavy as she put her tip toeing to a temporary rest, curiously looking about the area, examining anything that seemed strange or foreign to her. This clearing was like a dream, a fantasy that clashed with the bitter reality that most of the region was simply ‘sand and Trapinch.’ She even laughed at this – it was so, so, silly in words, but there was really no way to better describe such a strange, but cruel, world.  
  
as she narrowly avoids stepping on some of the sleeping Pokemon – my word, they were small – she spots a familiar face sitting on top a hill, their back facing them. Well, well! So that's where the boy went, huh! She puts herself back into stealth mode, creeping slowly closer and closer to the spaced out, silent boy.  
  
As she draws near, though, she spots that hes got something in his hands – a pokeball, it seemed? Was it Sweetheart’s? either way, he was gripping particularly tight to it, mumbling something that Sacha couldn't quite pick up. Not at first anyway.  
  
"…just...what am i to do…?"  
  
But the mumbles did not just turn into words. No, once he had spoke clearly enough for the girl to hear, he had buried his head in his arms, sniffling as he..wait.  
  
Sascha couldn't believe her eyes. This boy, this monotone, hateful boy was not only showing some sign of emotion, but was crying. Crying.  
  
Shes not sure what to do at first – no matter the person, she wasn't exactly good at cheering people up in such a downer mood, and generally, she avoided it like the plague. But, helping this kid on his feet would mean that she owed her two things…  
  
Casually, she sits down beside him. "uhm, hi there.." she thought about prodding his head, but she declined the idea. That'd be a better idea to do _after_ he's settled down!  
  
For now, though, the boy was certainly restless, and flinched as her voice ringed through his ears. There was a moment of silence from the two, and then he boy shifts his head, glancing towards Sascha bitterly. "...what do you want."  
  
"All of your money." She was teasing, but the voice she put off was so serious! Too serious for the boy, she'd find, that she changed the topic with a short cough. "ahem…I mean, i really want to know whats up with you! Don't your dare lie to me that you're fine, your face says everything!"  
  
"I may be crying, but..I'm fine." Naturally, the boys answer was short and to the point. "…Its none of your business."  
  
"Uh, yeah it is?" She pouts, turning to sit directly towards him, rather than simply beside him. "You're just as much of the team as Lulu and Freya, and everyone else is kinda after us, so we gotta at least watch each other's backs, right?" Ok, maybe Sascha would ditch them if it meant receiving a hefty amount of cash…but only maybe!!  
  
"Perhaps…" He grumbles, shoving his face back into the comfort his arms. "but if you want to be a real help, just leave, now..."  
  
Sascha frowns: come on, she was trying to be nice before, what was with the cold shoulder? "oh no, is it because teeny tiny dyna is too embarrassed to be seen as the small child that he is?" Of course, that had to be it!  
  
But, the boy would mutter another 'leave,’ glaring up at the girl. Ruthless as always.  
  
Sascha does give him some space, but she doesn’t leave him quite yet – sure, he’s probably the most annoying child shes ever met, but something was clearly off about him. She simply couldn’t shake that fact off.  
  
So instead, she sits a bit away from him, watching the sky. It sure was a nice night for star gazing, especially at such a beautiful place like this.  
  
"…i wasn’t strong enough."  
  
"eh?" Sascha would turn her head towards the boy. Was he finally going to talk?  
  
"...back with those Shedinja, O..I couldn’t beat them, they were too strong…no, they were worse than that. They..no matter what i did, they were impossible to beat."  
  
"but you have Sweetheart, remember?" Sascha says, pointing at the pokeball he held so close to him. "you could beat them now!"  
  
"…but i don't want to rely on others."  
  
this comment made Sascha just shake her head so much. "Uh, you do know you're just a kid, right? You can't tell me that you really think you can handle everything on your own."  
  
"…but i can. Just not..the Shedinja." he would nod slowly. "I don't really like to fight, but i can fight, and a lot better than you can."  
  
Oh, now it was getting personal! Sascha rose to her feet, standing directly behind the boy and staring him down. "do you really want to test that?"  
  
"…do you really want to fight me?" The boy would stand up, turning around and tilting his head puzzlingly. "and do we have to? It’s a waste of time."  
  
But Sascha was serious! Even to the point that she would draw her knife, pressing the knife up against his throat.  
  
"who’s a waste of time?"  
  
The boy, however, would only smile. He wasn't too keen about fighting, but…things had certainly got interesting.  
  
And thus, the two would spend the rest of the night..well, fighting moreso through competition than through practice, but neither one of them seemed to mind. After all, for once, Sacha had found someone that could meet her standards in fighting, ironically enough. And, as for Dyna?  
  
He was finally opening up to someone again, in a roundabout way.


	12. Tick Tock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Tick Tock  
> Characters: ????
> 
> A drabble about the mysterious person locked in the deepest part of the prison that Lewis was once kept at. Depending on Sascha's actions, they could have freed them, but the character currently remains locked away...

It began with the clock.  
  
Her parents told her it was no big deal that the clock had cracked, had stopped so suddenly when it was knocked from its perch. But, while the clock had stopped, time went on.  
  
But how much time?  
  
The calendar would go next – after new years eve had passed, and another year began, there was no effort to change the calendar, and no motivation to keep track of the date. Every day soon felt like a Monday. One Monday, two, three, five, _seven hundred…_  
  
How many Mondays had passed?  
  
And why, despite how kind and loving her parents were, felt more distant, over the growing years?  
  
Something was wrong, but she didn’t know what. Just what was going on?  
  


* * *

  
  
"So, she's been here for a while, huh?"  
  
Two people were watching the flicker of a TV monitor, exchanging glances whenever one spoke.  
  
"That's right. Three long years shes been keep down there, without any human contact." The voice, whom would belong to an older woman, would relay the information slowly, carefully, but otherwise, with a lack of feeling.  
  
"And why so?" The other person, a young male, would inquire. He was certainly not new to his job, but this person was an exception to the typical crew he was accustomed to.  
  
"Her power effects people." simple and easy to understand.  
  
But worth questioning further. "...just people though, you say? Not creatures?"  
  
"not that I’m aware of. It's why the Pokemon we’ve brought to her have not been tampered with. They’re both healthy physically…and mentally."  
  
"but, it could as well be the that the Pokemon themselves have made the precautions to protect themselves."  
  
And they could – after all, the Pokemon in that room had a power, too. One that, if kept under it, could very well allow someone to be lost in a world that did not exist. For days. Months. _Years._


	13. Voices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write 41: Voices  
> Characters: Dyna, Sundae, Sascha (vaguely)
> 
> Sundae interferes, saving Dyna and Sascha form the Shedinja. (I'm pretty sure this was back when Dyna was going to be an actual /boss/ at the end of the game, thus why Sundae could control them to some degree) Contains mentions of violence, namely corpses.

Ah, where were they?  
  
The last few seconds had been a blur. There was a question of "are you ok," though perhaps it was worded a fair more coarsely. But now the person themselves were on the ground as well, injured but still breathing. Only merely passed out.  
  
the ground around them was frightening, though – heaps and layers of remains of some sort of bodies, some strange creatures, too difficult to pinpoint as to what they were.  
  
"You did this, you know."  
  
Ah? Lovely, the voice that they clearly wanted to hear was here.  
  
"Y _ou_ did this.’ they would confirm. "I merely let you have control for a little while."  
  
"Ooohhh, i guess you are right~" Teasingly and eerie as always. "But I guess it can be fun to help, after watching you be so desperate to succeed. We have to protect that darling master of yours, don’t we~?"  
  
As per usual, humor never really slipped through as such. "Says the one who mocks me when i do fail. Why are you being so helpful this time around, anyway? It’s bothersome." Too bothersome, if one asked them – there was almost always a catch to this.  
  
The answer that does come is as vague as the rest of the comments the voice as made. "What, do you not want the help~?"  
  
"…I…" carefully, they thought it over. "I appreciate the help."  
  
And they did – they could not lie about that. If they had not received help, then not only themselves, but their owner…  
  
they would shake the thought away, and issued a small 'thanks’ to the voice, wherever the owner was lurking.  
  
And of course, the only thing they get in response is a simple giggle, before the voice disperses, leaving them alone in the bloodshed field of corpses.


	14. Cupcake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Cupcake  
> Characters: Dyna, Sascha, Lewis (vaguely)
> 
> In the first timeline, Dyna receives two names.

"…try again."  
  
The two of them had been at it for what, hours? Yeah, she was sure it was for a good couple of hours. But part of her wasn’t surprised, really. After all, while she thought that the names ‘Sugary Shortcake’ and ‘Cutiepie’ were both excellent and desirable names, there was someone who had a second opinion about these.  
  
What made these matters difficult, however, was that the particular second opinion was the Pokemon receiving the name.  
  
Of all the Pokemon that Sascha had owned in her lifetime, she had to say that she never owned one with enough intellect that it could easily reply back to her. Nor that it could actually waltz around as a human, but that was more a perk of it being a legend – at least, that’s what she concluded.  
  
So, it was natural that the Pokemon desired a name that was a bit less cutesy and out of place on a human being.  
  
"oh commmme on, if you had a name like Cuddlebug, we could always pretend that it was a sappy nickname! See? not weird!"  
  
The girl was so persistent that she would get her way. The Pokemon, however, averted their eyes. "but we aren’t together like that. That would be a bit awkward…"  
  
"but! It’s still possible! Please, I’m your trainer, can't i give you a cute name..?"  
  
The Pokemon is silent for a while, blinking, staring, burying their face in their arms. "i…i guess i cant really stop you, but could we compromise, then, please…?"  
  
"I’m listening.." She would stare back at the Pokemon, putting all the attention on them. Which, for someone like Sascha, was a lot to ask.  
  
"I want you to give me two. One for battling, but one for when I’m trying not to be seen as a Pokemon…you know, when I'm trying to be taken seriously?" They would remove their head from the comfort of behind their hands, tilting their head curiously. "You couldn’t possibly disagree with this, right?"  
  
Sascha was tempted to, but alas – she was finally able to give the nerd a name! confidently, she would nod, and then glance away, keeping herself to her own thoughts. "I don’t really know many people names that suit you, though, so i guess you can pick one..? but hm...hmmmmm…~"  
  
It had to be perfect, the best and most fluffy and adorable name ever.  
  
There was so many options, though! Cotton Candy and Buttercup and Cuteness Extreme and Fluffball and good gosh, lets be real here, she probably even considered a combination of them all.  
  
However, she sticks to a smaller name, out of convenience – who would want to call out attacks with a super long name, anyway? not practical, not fast enough for her to send her Pokemon out to murder any cops that were currently trying to catch the two of them.  
  
So instead, she opts on something somewhat shorter than the monstrosity that was 'Sprinkle Starry-eyed Sea Salt Candy.’ Something she is sure will still fluster the dork.  
  
And naturally, she expects the confused look, the eagerness to yell at her and tell her otherwise, when she does share the name with him. But, despite all this, she then sees the "okemon nod, yes, nod at the new name she had put forth. But why?  
  
'you’re…seriously cool with the nickname of Cupcake?’ she would ask once more, staring in, perhaps, disbelief.  
  
the "okemon would nod again, though hesitant, and as Sascha predicted, very flustered. "yeah, it’s good."  
  
"Alright, then welcome aboard, 'Super Sparkly Blue Raspberry Cupcake!"  
  
"D..Dont put on more words after i accepted what you already gave me!" To the Pokemon’s despair, though, he would see Sascha confidently reply with how she wanted to liven the name up for times when she wasn't quickly barking orders at him.  
  
Needless to say, the Pokemon would only return his face to his hands, though he didn't disagree on the choice naming on Sascha’s part.  
  
He would lift his head again as he then heard her ask, "What sort of lame person’s name did you pick?"  
  
"Oh, the name? how about…"  
  


* * *

  
  
"…Dyna. It’s Dyna…"  
  
It had been a wild day on his part; him and his partner in crime, Lewis, had been on the run for some time from the cops, especially after their charade at the cruise ship.  
  
They didn't expect to, however, meet with a a trainer who was having a rough time battling some Pokemon. Honestly, they would of, and should of left her alone, but alas…someone had felt otherwise.  
  
So, he was now carrying this injured girl, as Lewis would scan ahead for Pokemon and more importantly, the cops.  
  
"Huh, Dyna. That’s…certainly a name!" the girl would say, giggling. "My name is Sascha Frisk. Don’t you dare forget it, you hear?"  
  
Little to the girl’s knowledge, this would be impossible to do. After all…  
  
It wasn’t the first time they met.


	15. Painful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Painful  
> Characters: Dyna, Freya, Sascha
> 
> Sascha overhears Freya and Dyna talking. She finds it dumb at first, but yet...  
> AKA: Freya is being a huge Straight while Dyna struggles to hide that he's worried about his trainer (and everyone else) dying again, and again, and again.

What a day. No, what a week!  
  
She had fought a rock, saved a nerd, and got back to gypsum in time to get a nice meal in before heading to bed. Man, Sascha could not recall the last time she had actually gone to sleep! it was almost uncanny, to be sitting on a bed, ready to sleep any moment now. She deserved this sleep, and the bed, thanks to her efforts.  
  
Of course, goign to bed didn't happen for Sascha right away.  
  
Due to the nature of her trip, she had to always be on her toes, springing awake whenever she had heard something off. And yes, she did hear something, but it wasn't particularly anything unusual -- just Freya talking to someone. Correction, it was Freya talking to someone she didn't like. Hoo boy, what were they up to now?  
  
Curiosity would get the better of Sascha as she tiptoed to the edge of the room, peering out the door that lead to downstairs. She couldn't see either one of them, but she could tell from Freya's tone of voice that she was worried, maybe sad? the other, the oh so wonderful Dyna, was his usual, stoic tone.  
  
"...come on, what's up with you? When we came here...I thought you were...."  
  
"...and why are you bringing this up now?" Rude, way to interrupt! "I think it's better this way, it's a lot less awkward on my end."  
  
"B-But...our plan......." Freya was losing her voice fast -- something that felt eerily chilling to sascha.  
  
"...so? Lewis would be fine. He does like you, after all..."  
  
"No, you don't understand!" Freya would suddenly yell. "I.......I really miss him, Dyna, I miss him so much. I mean, I...do love Lewis, but...I don't know if I can really be with him until I get over the person I used to love..."  
  
Sascha would stick out her tongue. Ugh, romance. Why was she listening to this?  
  
"...again, I don't understand why you're having this conversation with me."  
  
"...and I don't understand how you don't understand! I mean, do you _really_ think I haven't noticed? That there's something different about you...." She would pause, and then speak up once more, once she found the right words to put it. "..you were so stern before, but now, you look at us...no, at them, like I would to him. As if....you've lost them, too! And yet, you don't understand my pain...?"  
  
It was hard to tell if Dyna made any reaction to this, due to his voice, but Sascha wouldn't of been surprised if Freya hit a nerve on him by how he worded his next few sentences. ".....I didn't lose anyone. If I've lost them, then...well, they wouldn't be out of my reach, would they? They're still alive, it's plain as day."  
  
"But-.."  
  
"...they. won't. die." Ah, there was the signature, angry tone of voice. "...and as such, I do not understand your feelings. So, get over them. We need a leader who's thinking about the future, not the past."  
  
The conversation wold seem to end there, Sascha would find, as she suddenly spotted the boy heading up the stairs. She would hurry back to bed, and pretend to sleep, hoping that he didn't catch on that she had been spying on them. "ugh, Dyna, you woke me up..!" She'd then complain as he slammed the door open, pretending to bolt up and appear puzzled.  
  
"....then go back to bed." He would cram himself into the pillow of his own bed, and lay there, not issuing another word, even when Sascha tried to tease him shortly after.  
  
Sure, he was mad but...he had the same sort of voice that Freya had back there. He really, truly, was worried about this person, deep down. And, like he had stated prior..  
  
...he was going to make sure they didn't die.  
 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write 54: Waves  
> Characters: Sascha, Dyna, Lewis (kinda), Freya (mentioned, I guess)
> 
> Dyna gets Sascha interested in learning how to swim.

"….what’s wrong?"  
  
A girl stood, head facing downward, as she would rub at her arm, if only for a moment. But, as soon as she would feel such a fear course through her body, her head was held high once more, directly staring at the source of the voice she’d heard.  
  
"Wrong? I don’t know about you, but i think you’ll be the one having the problem when i beat you in this race!"  
  
Really, it would be feasible for the girl, Sascha, if it wasn’t for two things: the first, was that her opponent was a Pokemon, one that was far faster than any human.  
  
The other, unfortunately for her, was that she barely knew how to swim.  
  
Her first instinct is to try and walk on it – she’s seen another person, Freya, done it before, so why can’t she learn it? However, she quickly realizes that no, she can’t. And when she does, she halts, staring down at the rising water around her ankles.  
  
Desperately, she pulls another poorly plastered on grin, and marches in deeper, her Pokemon companion watching in, what, embarrassment? Probably not worry, that’s for sure.  
  
"Come on, don’t go easy on me! I’ll be fine-…"

It’s not until then that she finds herself waist deep in the water, and, finally, allows herself to show signs of panic. "W-why…why can’t i move quickly in this?" Sascha asks, looking over at the Pokemon nervously.  
  
She hears the creature sigh, almost a bit tiredly, and then watches them head over – given that he’s taken the form of a child, who appeared to be swimming with a comical floatie around his waist? How could things get even more embarrassing for her?  
  
"…i don’t know if i approve of this, servant," she even gestures at him, waving a hand slightly from beneath the water. "How are people going to think having me listen to some kid who can’t swim without a…well, it’s silly, that’s what!" And to think that it made her feel superior at the time…  
  
"Well, that’s simply your price if you’re asking help from me." She would watch the Pokemon – no, right now, the boy – smile ever so faintly, before concealing his expression once more.  
  
"Oh, you know you shouldn’t play that game," would be her reply. And she was right – she could outwit this servant of hers into owing her big time, easily! would he still accept?  
  
"I… _am_ playing this game."  
  
Sascha would hear his voice carefully forming these words, and then grin at the boy. "Very well, if you really think you can, how are you going to teach me?"  
  
A slight pause. "erm…I...don’t know 100 percent how its done, so…" and she would watch him suddenly lift the floatie from his waist, plopping around her own. "but we could start with this, right?" He would have added that the floatie was, in fact, stolen earlier, rather than part of a guise, but he figured the complexity would be saved for another time.  
  
"What what what? How is this going to be of any help? I don’t want to be the one looking like a kid!"  
  
"It’s at the very least keeping you afloat, so that would be good–"  
  
While she knew he was right, she couldn’t help but yell back. "I don’t care! why do i have to learn this from you anyway, what’s the point?"  
  
Had she forgotten about the contest she was eager to have? Maybe. But she did not expect the boy to suddenly take back the floatie, swimming back to the shore to give it to Lewis, who had been snoring on the shoreline the entire time. Once the boy had given the floatie to the sleepy man, she would spot him diving under the water, a dark shadow heading towards her…  
  
…and, suddenly, surfacing in such a way that she would find herself ontop of him, evident that he had now changed over to the Pokemon form she had just recently grew accustomed to.  
  
"I’m not going to ride you everywhere that has water–" she would start, more worried about the fact that she’d owe him, rather than the fact that she wouldn’t have to fear about deeper water.  
  
But, when he interrupted her, she was both curious and puzzled. "It’s just this one time. You’ll see."  
  
And so, without much else to say, the girl would allow him to ferry her out into the sea, deeper and deeper into the salty waters. She would go to ask what plans he had, but as soon as he began to swim, he had already stopped, floating about while thinking quietly to himself.  
  
"so..?" Would finally come from her mouth, tilting her head. "why here?"  
  
"You’ll see. But you have to hold your breath, ok? How long can you do that?"  
  
The pokemon’s warning only fueled her. "Ah, so this is a contest! I should have known…Sure, i can hold my breath, watch!"  
  
Sascha would suck in as much air as she could, her cheeks comically puffed out...  
  
..but did not expect the Pokemon to suddenly dive under, sending her into the frigid waters.  
  
If she could speak, she would of yelled a 'what gives?!’ Instead, she kept this thought to her mind, focusing on where, exactly, this servant of hers was going. 'You’ll see’ was what he had said, right? But why would he drag her down into the water like this?  
  
A moment after, and she understood.  
  
Below the surface of the water, in the dark depths, was color. More color than she had ever expected, set up as if it was a underwater forest. Nearby, Pokemon she scarcely knew of swam, and even further out, she could vaguely make out the frame of some sort of ship.  
  
immediately, Sascha thought, 'treasure.’  
  
The response of her companion surprised her, however. "yes, if you learned how to swim better, we could search for places like these, and get all sorts of treasure, I’d imagine."  
  
She would wonder why he couldn’t simply get it for him, but again, she would hear him reply to her thoughts.  
  
"You wouldn’t want to owe me, would you?"  
  
Sascha would go to make an argument against it, but would suddenly feel her throat struggle as it would helplessly try to pull in air. Ah, she had to be out of air now! She would be fortunate that her servant had noticed this.  
  
The girl would not admit it at the time, but the speed that the Pokemon would go to take her back to the surface was pretty amazing. Soon enough, she was coughing and hacking away, trying to spit out any of the water she had swallowed, then taking a few, deep breaths.  
  
"…alright, i guess I’ll learn. But won’t I still owe you?" Great, she really didn’t have a way out of this, did she?  
  
"…only for saving you back there. You won’t owe me for anything else." A strange response, but she would take it, if reluctantly. "plus.."  
  
"...i think Lewis or Freya would have better luck teaching you how to swim. People swim differently than myself." He would finish, awkwardly looking to the side.  
  
"Fine, I’ll get my other servant to do this!" Sascha would remark, her confidence returning. "And then, we’ll see who’s faster, and who can get more treasure!"  
  
And so, Sascha ordered him to shore, demanding Lewis for help...

....while the Pokemon would smile, happy that his only goal, to convince her to learn, had been met.


	17. Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Breakfast  
> Characters: Freya, Quinn, Lewis (mentioned)
> 
> Quinn has gay feelings, and doesn't know what to do about them. This was....admittedly written before I realized that love triangles are dumb and poly ships are far superior.

When she regained consciousness, she swore she thought that the tent was burning down.  
  
Granted, she was really only using her nose to credit on that – she wasn’t quite awake yet, and her eyes were still adjusting from the long night of sleeping. Ok, no, it wasn’t quite sleeping. After all, the last thing she could remember was falling victim to those nasty pokemon…  
  
Right, right. The smell! Why did it smell like fire in here?  
  
Lazily, she’d sit upright, stretching her arms and letting loose a loud yawn, signalling to just about everyone in the house that she was in fact awake. The fact that it was a house made things rather curious, too. So, they did make it back to town in the end, and didn’t have to retreat back to the tent they once used for shelter? Rather commendable, if she did say so herself.  
  
As to who’s house, though? Not a clue. At least at first. But then…  
  
“Oh, oh~! Someone’s up, huh? Oh, it’s good to see you up, oh yes..~”  
  
The lady would whip her head towards the source of sound, her hair swaying about. Yes, this person….she knew them very well. How long had it been since the last time they talked outside of conversations on the phone? Far too long.  
  
“…woah, like…..” the lady would blink a few times, staring back at the woman before her. “did you bring me here, Freya? Or did, like….the others?” Wait… “How are they, you know, Sascha and Lewis? Are they ok..?”  
  
Freya would nod though, her typical, cheery smile gracing her pale, pristine face. “Yes, yes, they are ok! Lulu is still sleeping, but Sascha’s already out and about…she’s really helpful, mhm! Early to rise and late to sleep, my, I wish I could be that ambitious sometimes…~” She would prattle on and on, discussing things like how today’s meeting with the town will go, or what plans she had for probably cornering and capturing some false god? She heard that last one right, right?  
  
The lady, Quinn, didn’t think too heavily on the subject for long, though.  
  
She was more focused on Freya as a person – much better than the so called god they were hunting. Much kinder, and beautiful, and a bit scary too, with what pokemon she owned…  
  
But, it’s also when Quinn finds herself biting her lip, averting her eyes from the treasure before her. Freya was lovely, everything she wanted in a woman, but to her dismay, that treasure of a human being was already in the hands of another. Not to say she was going to do anything harsh to him, oh no. She was jealous, painfully jealous, but the man Freya loved, the man snoring upstairs? That person made her happy.  
  
It would hurt Quinn more to take the man Freya loved away from her.  
  
“Oh, Quinn, that’s right…”  
  
On cue, she would lift her head, trying her best to face her directly, but oh, it was simply just too hard right now.  
  
“You were sleepy, you were…but you must be hungry too, right? Yes, yes you have to be! So, I decided to make everyone breakfast! Sascha, and oh, Dyna too, he was here, too, they ate, but I made enough for you, as well! I hope it’s alright, is it alright?”  
  
Quinn’s hands would shake the plate as she takes it from Freya’s, holding it down in front of her. The food itself was edible at least, but that was as far as it came it terms of craftsmanship. The eggs were still a bit runny, the bacon was well overcooked, and the toast might of had a bit too much butter on them. But even with this mess of a plate, even with how there was so many ways it could be improved on..  
  
Quinn would find herself enjoying the entire meal, even if…  
  
“you’re ok, right…?”  
  
...she was crying the entire time, nodding forcefully in a poor attempt – but a successful one – to delude Freya into thinking she was simply grateful for the meal.


	18. Offers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Offers  
> Characters: Dyna, Sascha, Freya, Lewis, Russ, and Sundae
> 
> Dyna starts another timeline, after Sascha's actions trigger the time loop once again. But is it really the same as the last ten or so? Technically an AU/what if? Chapter, contains mentions of death.

She had been having these dreams for a while now.  
  
On the top of a large expanse of money and gold, she would sit, towering high above for all to see. It was hers, all hers! Or she would think, only to be reminded:

 

“This is only a dream.”  
  
Whenever this voice would speak, it was jarring, surreal, and unfitting – almost as if it couldn’t, no, shouldn’t exist in her dream of wealth and fame. Why was it here, anyway? To torment her?  
  
“But, it doesn’t _have_ to be a dream.”  
  
That was the usual liner that would result before her being abruptly awoken to the sound of her phone ringing, or the soft murmurs of her not-so-cooperative servant as he turned in his sleep. And it was a shame, too! She wanted to have a nice talk with this stranger. Maybe she could invite them with a party? Though, she wasn’t quite should how to influence her dreams into having this happen…  
  
A loud sigh would escape, as she would carefully push her clumsy servant out of the bed. It was best that they get ready, before Freya got upset at them for coming home late.  
  
Though, truth be told, her servant could get her there before she could even consider this notion. And, thankfully, she would get there, faster than she expected, hands filled with free time! Maybe her servant was of some good use, even if he was a bit disagreeable, and needed to learn how to actually have fun for once. Yes, she’d have to give him so pro lessons on this, the poor thing.  
  
Thus, she would let her servant, Dyna, go off on his own, allowing him to ‘fetch some things’ – takeout, to be precise. Much like Sascha, Freya knew how to get Dyna to go and do some very important and crucial tasks, relaying what to have him pick up over the phone.  
  
This left Sascha, admittedly, a bit lonely, as she would venture about Gypsum. Perhaps she could find the cookie loving girl and see how she was doing? It had been a while, so maybe her Pokemon could of gotten stronger, too! It a was perfect, rival worthy challenge–  
  
The girl would halt, both in thought and in her near silent footsteps.  
  
Her rival! She just had to talk with them! When was the last time she had talked to Russ, anyway? It must of been forever, maybe two forevers! Is that possible? She really didn’t know, or care, as she rushed over to Freya’s, eager to tell the fire breather about her adventures.

 

* * *

 

 

“My, my, Iwama sure is barren, isn’t it..?”  
  
A sigh would escape as he heard those words. “Y..yeah.” Would be all he would say, mustering enough of a smile to mask the defeat in his voice.  
  
Again, he was back at the beginning. Just what had happened this time? And to think, that he actually had gotten far with her, actually securing some of the fossils that the golems had tried to keep from anyone stealing, actually getting himself out of some sticky situations by her, rather than the other way around.  
  
So, why..?  
  
He would be brought out of his thoughts by the other’s – Freya’s – voice. “I know what just happened was…really bad, I know. I mean, Nous…he died there, too. But we’ll fix things, ok, ok? We just got to go on a treasure hunt, yes! It’ll be over before we know it~!” Pleasant to know that, just like the other times, she had enough energy to force some positive reinforcement. So, so pleasant.  
  
Oh, how he hated how plain out unaware Freya was about this situation. Or his, rather.  
  
Still, a job had to be done. So, with another sigh, he’d request for a map, beginning to circle all the places he had gone one too many times to collect the fossils they needed, without a moment to hesitate on whether or not he had made in error. “I’ll fly you to Gypsum, and from there, I’ll collect some of the easier ones.” He’d take a moment, only to add, “I’ll find someone to help us, too.”  
  
The person he was mentioning, of course, was Lewis. But, he also wanted to use that time to at least check on Sascha, too. Should he even try to rope her into this mess, this time? She did have a knack of bumping into them, despite having last time avoided her as long as possible, hoping that she would be able to do things without them around.  
  
In any case, he would have to consider that later. For now, finding Lewis was the main priority, so at the very least, they could start this wild treasure hunt once more, right? It didn’t take long for him to get to Scoria, either, adopting the green haired, human form he was perhaps best known for.  
  
“If Lewis isn’t here,’ He’d murmur to himself, carefully eyeing each person as they walked by him, “then Mica Town would be the best bet-…”  
  
He would suddenly feel a hand rest on his fluffy mop of hair, ruffling it a bit.  
  
“Huh? Why isn’t your hair pink anymore?”  
  
Without thinking, he turned around, quickly retorting with a ‘because pink isn’t cool!” Only to stare up at this hair ruffling, pink loving culprit, a mix of dread and confusion plastered on his face.  
  
“S…Sascha..” He would carefully ask, eyes not leaving her for a moment, “….do you really, honestly, know who I am?”  
  
“Of course!” The girl would reply, a cheeky grin spreading, “Gosh, you really should look at your face right now. You look almost as bad as the time I mentioned those Joltik! Maybe it’s time for another round of spooky stories...” And she would wiggle her fingers, making a small ‘oooo’ sound.  
  
“This isn’t the time for spooky stories!” Dyna would huff, a sour expression on his face. “I need to know why… _how_ …you know who I am. We need to find Lewis, too..”  
  
There’s something about that name that seems to shut the girl up, as the boy notices her shift back a step, her hands drawing close to her chest. “..o-oh..is he still…upset..?” She manages to state, biting the bottom of her lip.  
  
“Why would he be upset?” For now, he avoids mentioning the detail that Lewis hadn’t exactly been hired yet. “Sascha you…need to tell me what happened. What’s going on?”  
  
A bitter smile is forced onto her face, if only for a moment. It was such a rarity to see her even having trouble faking a smile…  
  
“…I…got mad at Freya.” She finally says, her voice exhausted. “And I killed her. For killing Russ.”  
  
Definitely not the response Dyna wanted to hear. Nor was the response he even expected. Freya was alive, right? There was no way she could’ve stabbed Freya and rushed to Scoria within the span of time Dyna was flying from Gypsum – where he had dropped the eccentric woman off at – to Scoria. So how? And why? Nothing was making sense.  
  
“But…but it’s ok!” Sascha really was trying to pull all the optimism into next words, beaming a smile with a bit more effort than her last. “Because…Russ is here, now! She’s in this town, somewhere, do you think you could find her? You’re good at servant things like that, so if you find her, maaaaybe I’ll forgive for for having that green hair–”  
  
“Wait, wait.” Dyna would stop her long prattle of words. “You just said Russ was dead. How is she now alive? How do you know she _died?_ ” That was much, much further in the future, and, on top of that, wasn’t something that happened is every timeline – just the last one, if he recalled correctly. So why did Sascha know this?  
  
No, rather…  
  
Why was _this_ Sascha here, instead of the one from _this_ timeline?  
  
He had already knew the answer by the time Sascha spoke again.  
  
“Because she was dead. But I asked someone, and she let me have her back. Strange, isn’t it?”  
  
Strange, maybe. But it made all the more sense. After all, if she had wished to save Russ, even if one more time, she would of been pulled into the past, wouldn’t she?  And, without Sascha being there, he was pulled back, too, as per usual. No wonder she had ‘died’ so suddenly….  
  
Though, Dyna wasn’t sure if this was any better.

 _Especially_ if this meant Sascha agreed to a deal like he had.


	19. Moral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Write: Moral  
> Characters: Sundae, Dyna
> 
> Sundae tells a story to help Dyna get some sleep, or so it seems.

If Iwama had a strong point, even with all the sands bathing the land, there was always, almost always, a glorious night sky. Save for the dense jungles of Amber Island, there was many places to observe the glittering, star filled sky.  
  
Just like one would tonight.  
  
To be fair, they didn’t really have much to do tonight, aside from waiting – sleeping was attempted, but to very little results. It was a wonder to think that they even got any sleep at all...  
  
“Goooooodd eveninggg~!”  
  
Though, then again, maybe they wished they stayed in bed. Would they even take a moment to look at the stranger before them? No, they wouldn’t. Just a simple "Ah, you’re here." So, maybe not a stranger. But not a friend, that’s for sure.  
  
“What, no ‘how are you?’ Are those whimpy stars better than me, the great and wonderful–”  
  
“..I’m trying to enjoy the moment.”  
  
“…phooey.” And so, the stranger would merely sit beside them, folding their arms. “I really am great, you know. You’ve seen what I’ve done, remember? So, why are you wasting time looking at these dumb stars anyway? You should be watching something other than these stars.”  
  
Despite the teasing remark, the stranger really was curious.  
  
But of course, the comment is a mere, “I couldn’t sleep.” Figured! As if they should expect anything more out of this person. They were always about short sentences, but maybe that was why teasing them was all the more fun – it was a great game to count how many words they could get out of them in one go!  
  
“Aw, do I have to tell you a bedtime story, then? I know a really good one.”  
  
“Spare me.” Would be their reply this round, but they fell to the deaf ears of the stranger.  
  
“Long ago, there was a beautiful, wonderful woman…let’s call her Alice, shall we? The _lovely_ lady Alice was a charmer, if I do say so myself. All the men would glance at her, and fall head over heels, but did she care?”  
  
The stranger would expectantly await a response. But when none came..  
  
“No, she didn’t. After all, she was in love with a girl! Oh, her name…my, I’ll have to give a name for her, too. We’ll call her Luna, yes, I think that was it….”  
  
“now, Luna was a mysterious sort, but maybe that was why Alice was so drawn to her. She’d watch from afar, her face reddening whenever she would think that Luna had caught a glance of her, even getting a bit embarrassed at the concept that she was acting a great deal a lot like the boys who stalked her. So one day, yes, one day…”  
  
“She had decided to ask her her out, in the most elegant way possible. Now, can you guess what that was?”  
  
For once, they actually replied. “..what, did they give her flowers or something?”  
  
That was one, two, three... _eight words?_ A lot of words! An A+ for that, at least. But the real answer, no, the real answer..  
  
“It was a song. Ah, what a beautiful song..”  
  
And it’s then that it hits them, as they stare at the stranger before them. “So, this is…”  
  
“…shush, I’m not done! Ugh, you’d think by now, after all this time together, you would at least be a bit more respectful to me? Hmph, where was I? Ah, so the song…”  
  
“The song was the most beautiful thing that Luna had listened to. So pure, so clear! The tune and pitch was perfect. And so, when Alice had came forth, asking, pleading, wishing…for the hand of Luna, she had to agree. For Luna, yes Luna, was enamored by Alice’s crisp voice.”  
  
“Together, the two would live on together, watching as the seasons changed, and the days flew by. They even adopted a child of their own, and watched them, too, grow up to a strong and wonderful human being.”  
  
“But this was when Alice had found herself unwell, in the most simplest manner of things. Alice was…”  
  
“….you can stop there.” Another response from the sour person. And after such a good deal of silence, to boot. “I..I’m sure I know what happens next.”  
  
“..then you’re aware of the moral of the story, are you not?” The stranger would tilt their head, a wry smile forming on their otherwise adorable face.  
  
The person would shake their head, though. Had they been listening? Probably not. “Ok, because I’m that nice, I’ll tell you, just this once. This story’s moral is that nothing is forever. Not Alice…and not her, either.”

This would cause them to hop up, and finally, finally face the dreaded stranger, but they wouldn’t talk. Only listen to them speak. “So, instead of looking at these stars, why don’t you try and talk to them again? Because it’s painful? Is that it?”  
  
“…oh, you would want that, huh. Painful.”  
  
“Hehe, I guess you are right about that..” way to be blunt. “But you should really think about it, before you lose that ability to do so.”  
  
And thus, once more, the stranger would leave their side, leaving them to the stars.  
  
Leaving them to think, though the answer was clear. By the time that these stars would leave the sky, and the morning would rise from the darkness, they had made their way back into the bedroom, gently wrapping their arms around the person they couldn’t bear to be without.


End file.
